The present invention is directed to furnace components in general, and more particularly to an improved sectional high efficiency heat exchanger for use in association with a power vent, gas-fired, forced-air furnace, and yet more particularly to an improved heat exchanger apparatus for operative functioning both during the burner-"on" cycle and also during the burner-"off" cycle, whereby heat energy expended by the pilot burner is conserved.
Prior art patents particularly as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,467,780, 4,729,207, 4,848,314, 4,887,767 depict various forms of serpentine-shaped heat exchangers, which are thus necessarily directed to similarly shaped combustion gas flow patterns. However, such heat exchanger structures have typically included a baffle or baffles disposed within and dividing the lower combustion chambers thereof into two separate sub-chambers. The inclusion of such baffles in these prior art lower combustion chambers has prevented the forced air furnace from achieving the benefit of the heat energy for heat exchange as provided by and from the gas combustion pilot burner during the burner-"off" cycle.
It is therefore a material object of the present invention to provide an improved sectional high efficiency heat exchanger for exchange of heat both during the burner-"on" and the burner-"off" cycles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a versatile gas-fired sectional heat exchanger utilizable in power vent designs and which can be utilized at high heat loading level per unit area, and can also be used with flexibility and versatility in furnaces employing either a standing pilot or utilizing an electric burner ignition means.
These and other objects and advantages of the improved sectional high efficiency heat exchanger apparatus of the present invention will be come more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description of the invention.